Beginning of a dialog window, including tabbed navigation to register an account or sign in to an existing account. Both registration and sign in support using google and facebook accounts. Escape will close this window.

About

Weaving handbags from telephone directory books.

Making juice box handbags

Making juice box handbags

Handbags & purses purchases directly supports the women's cooperative

Handbags & purses handwoven from Recycled Juice Boxes a woman’s cooperative of more than 500 women from Pasig City, Philippines formed in 1999. Their objective is to recycle non-biodegradable items, such as juice boxes, into attractive, profitable products including colorful handbags and accessories. The cooperative currently provides a livelihood to 200 families, helping to generate much-needed income for basic living expenses and education.
Working with other local community leaders, the cooperative campaigned for households to separate and sell their recyclables to the cooperative. The local council provided pushcarts and weighing scales and, as well, established an Ecology Center. It was this partnership between community leaders and the cooperative that lead to Pasig City being awarded first place as the cleanest and greenest township.
They organize 15 pushcarts that visit households to collect used food and beverage packaging that would otherwise clog water bodies, drainage systems, and landfills. They sanitize these materials and transform them into over 40,000 products per month. The cooperative has partnered with the local municipal solid waste management department to make a huge difference in keeping their community clean and green.
Of the all the items collected for recycling, the ones that attracted their attention were the colorful juice boxes. These discarded drink containers became the raw material for various bags, finding new life as cheerful accessories.